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These incredible cinnamon sugar cookies are topped with a decadent, creamy cinnamon frosting. They are made with staple ingredients and are surprisingly quick and easy to make.
This Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Recipe is a blend of a classic snickerdoodle and iced buttercream sugar cookie that you’ll make time and time again.
This recipe was originally published September 24, 2018 and updated with fresh content December 6, 2021.
I know I should save the best for last, but it’s all relative because who can choose between five new fall and winter infused recipes!
In preparation for my traditional Fall Cookie Week, I send dozens of cookies to friends, family and neighbors to see which new cookies make the cut. Everyone had a differing opinion this year, but these Cinnamon Sugar Cookies are my personal favorite.
If you love cinnamon everything as much as we do, don’t skip my Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar – so good! I’ve got a classic Soft Snickerdoodle, too.
These cinnamon sugar cookies are the best of both worlds. All the fragrant, spicy goodness of a soft snickerdoodle, combined with the sweet and sugary sugar cookies with buttercream icing we all love!
As much as I love a beautiful cutout sugar cookie, sometimes you just want a soft, fluffy one that doesn’t take quite as much effort. Luckily, these are still so beautiful and the taste is out of this world!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love these Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Soft and Fluffy
- Easy to Make
- Perfect for Cookie Exchanges and Platters
- Simple Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Ingredients
You just need a handful of pantry staple ingredients to make these festive cookies.
- Butter – I tend to have salted butter on hand, so that’s what I use here. Traditionally unsalted butter is best for baking, but we like a little salt with our sweet for balance. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Vegetable Oil – You can also use a canola oil or another neutral high heat oil.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- Vanilla Extract – Pure is preferable over imitation. Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla extract here!
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar, this is a super fine sugar that is always used for frosting, and also can be added to cookie dough for a soft, sweet effect.
- Eggs – Size large.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is required for this recipe.
- Salt – To balance out all that sweet!
- Cream of Tartar – For the traditionally tart addition that gives these cinnamon sugar cookies the taste of a snickerdoodle!
- Baking Soda – An imperative addition to many cookie recipes, baking soda is a leavening agent that allows the cookies to rise.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Cookies in Four Easy Steps
It takes less than 20 minutes to make these delicious treats! For the full printable recipe, head straight to the card at the bottom of this post.
- Make Dough
- Refrigerate dough while you’re preheating oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll /scoop dough into large balls and drop on cookie sheet. Bake.
- Allow to cool. Ice with cinnamon frosting.
Recipe Variations
- For another twist, you can ice them with Cinnamon Roll Icing!
- Sprinkle with an added dusting of homemade cinnamon sugar just before baking.
Tips
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least an hour before baking.
- Use parchment or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Don’t overbake cookies. Watch bake time closely to keep cookies soft. 7-8 minutes is just perfect. Any longer and they may become hard and dry.
- The cookies are ready when firm to the touch and slightly brown around the edges.
- Let the cookies fully cool before icing them.
- This recipe can make a lot of cookies, depending on how big you make them! Great for gifting or exchanging with friends.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are snickerdoodles just sugar cookies with cinnamon?
Not exactly! Snickerdoodles often feature cream of tartar, which is a slightly bitter, tart addition that is quite distinctive. Sugar cookies are traditionally frosted, too, which adds a separate layer that defines the difference between these two sweet types of cookies.
What can you use instead of butter in sugar cookies?
You can substitute with margarine or shortening, but the results won’t be quite the same.
More Cinnamon Inspiration
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
To Store
- Room Temperature – You can store these cookies on your counter for up to three days in an airtight container. Good luck getting them to last that long!
- Refrigerator – Once these cookies have been cooled and iced, they will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.
- Freezer – Un-iced cookies can also be frozen on a baking sheet and then placed in zip lock bags and they will be good for a month or two. Bake a couple of batches, freeze half and enjoy later in the season!
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More Sugar Cookie Recipes
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Cake
- Frosted Apple Butter Sugar Cookies
- Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Creamy Buttercream Icing
- Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies
Did you make this? Rate the recipe and tag me on social @julieblanner!
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Incredible Cinnamon Sugar Cookies topped with Cinnamon Frosting made with butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and staple ingredients. This Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Recipe is a blend of a snickerdoodle and sugar cookie that you’ll make time and time again.
Yield
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, vanilla etract, sugars and cinnamon until smooth.
- Blend in eggs.
- Add flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
- Refrigerate dough 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F
- Roll or scoop dough into large balls and drop on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes watching carefully as to not over bake. Allow to cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
- Ice with Cinnamon Frosting if you'd like, but they are also delicious without.
Tips
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least an hour before baking.
- Watch the cookies carefully while they are baking, they won’t take long.
- The cookies are ready when firm to the touch and slightly brown around the edges.
- Let the cookies fully cool before icing them.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 293kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 31g (10%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 17g (26%), Saturated Fat: 6g (30%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg (12%), Sodium: 102mg (4%), Potassium: 55mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 13g (14%), Vitamin A: 259IU (5%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 10mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Pam Dana says
I’m literally drooling! I can’t pass up a good Sugar Cookie recipe — can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks!
Kim says
Cookie week? I’m gonna need more than a week! These look delicious!
Julie says
You can enjoy these recipes all fall, we just squeezed them into a week…you know, so we can squeeze into yoga pants!
Krissy Allori says
Great. Now you have me craving some cinnamon sugar cookies! 🙂 Such a great recipe!
Rachael Yerkes says
These are amazing! The frosting on these is everything! So good!
Michael Wurm Jr. says
I LOVE me a frosted cookie!! These look and sound SO crazy delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
xo Michael